Belle fusses around her legs, and she bends, giving her a stroke. “Did you miss me, girl? I know I’m sorry I haven’t been back sooner.” She kisses her wet nose and pats her head as she stands and I take the bags into the kitchen.
“Something smells good.”
I rub the back of my neck. “I made enough for both of us if you can stay.” Please say you’ll stay. I give the stir fry another stir and take her hand. “Say you’ll stay, or I’m gonna have to tie you to the chair with my belt.”
Her lips curl up in one corner. “I kinda like the sound of that.”
A laugh bursts from my mouth. “I thought you would. Perhaps after dinner.” I wave the spatula at the chair at the head of the oak table, then swat her ass with it. “Sit.”
She does as I ask and Belle rests her nose on her thighs as Vi fusses behind her ears. I put the food away, but leave out a small vanilla and blueberry cheesecake she bought, reminding me of her blueberry pancakes, then I serve our dinner and sit next to her.
“Thank you.”
“How’s things over at their house? They treating you well?”
She swallows her food. “Yes. I have my own room and since Gareth got the results back from the DNA test, he’s been kinder to me. The boys look out for me.”
“He did a DNA test?”
“He didn’t know what to believe. He thought I was your daughter, along with everyone else in this town.”
“A part of me wishes you were.” I shovel another mouthful of chicken. The only comfort is knowing they wouldn’t hurt one of their own.
“I don’t.” She smiles at me. “I don’t think it would be right to want to fuck your dad.”
Something inside my chest swells along with my throbbing dick. Of course she’s right, but if she was my daughter, I could keep her safe and away from them. I’d never have signed those papers giving up my parental rights and she would have grown up here. Dad wouldn’t have turned away his own grandkid. Mum would have taken care of her for as long as she could and once I was released from prison, I would have had a purpose.
I’d have done her room up in lilacs and blues, filled it with every cuddly toy she ever wanted. We could have both saved each other. At least I’d always get to keep her, something I can’t do now, especially since I read her mail, which reminds me of another thing I need to confess to.
“Some letters came for you.”
“Really? I didn’t know anyone knew I was here.”
“I have a confession to make.” I drop the fork on my plate and grab a bunch of mail from the top of the fridge. I flick through the endless bills and paperwork above the fridge.
“Another confession?”
I clear my throat, tossing the envelope from Leeds university on the table.
“What’s this?”
Gingerly, I sit back down at the table. “I took the liberty of applying to university for you.”
“You—”
I hold up my hand. “You don’t have to worry about money. I have some savings. Whatever it costs to send you to uni, I’ll cover it.”
Her mouth parts as she reads the letter, inviting her for an interview after reading some of her work I sent them. “You sent them my work?”
“I sent one of those new notebooks I bought you with some of your poetry inside.” A smile cracks my stone features. She hasn’t taken it too bad so far.
She chews on the inside of her mouth, tapping the fork against the porcelain plate. “I thought you wanted me to be with you. The whole time you were plotting for me to go off to some fucking university.” The fork clatters on the plate.
“Vi, it’s what your mother would have wanted.”
“Screw my mother. What about what I want?”
“All right. What do you want?” I lean back in the chair and wipe my mouth, waiting for her to elaborate.
